Candle-lit
by Yumiii
Summary: Akatsuki/Zero. Though together, Akatsuki thinks Zero still has a foot in his past. Knowing the latter cannot forget, the redhead can only do one thing: show how much he truly loved Zero. Valentine one-shot. Post BLB.


**Candle-lit **  
Akatsuki/Zero. Though together, Akatsuki thinks Zero still has a foot in his past. Knowing the latter cannot forget, the redhead can only do one thing: show how much he truly loved Zero. Valentine one-shot.

AN: Hullooo. I'm back again for more randomness. I will be getting on with my other stories, in due time -cough-. Meanwhile, hope you enjoy this little (valentine-convenient) one-shot of Akatsuki and Zero (because KXZ seems so generic now. Still love the OTP though!) Threw in some cousin-ly love for the heck of it.

Notice that all the title of my AkatsukiXZero fics have something to do with fire? :D

* * *

Akatsuki yawned, only to have his side jabbed by a sharp elbow. Sideglancing, he saw his cousin giving him a look of disapproval. In return, he merely rolled his eyes. Hanabusa was only being this anal because it was the dorm leader who was speaking at the moment. On normal occasions, during class, the blond wouldn't even spare a glance even if his forehead touched the table. Hanabusa and his Kaname-obsessive streak.

Taking a deep breath to restore his brain's activeness, his eyes darted to the front where the pureblood stood, reading off a small book. Akatsuki presumed that it was a notebook of somesort, judging by its convenient size.

"As you all know, Valentine's is around the corner, and there would be bound to be some... complications," Kaname resumed speaking after briefly smiling to himself. He had witnessed the cousins tossing each other annoyed looks from the corner of his eyes. "I'm sure all of you are aware of what you can and cannot do, but keep in mind I will not tolerate any breaking of the school rules. They are also considered my laws, and expect a dire consequence if anything should happen."

The redhead aristocrat suppressed another yawn to save his sore rib. Just a year back, the same warning from the dorm leader was given. No big drama happened then, save the odd appearance of a chocolate fountain. The vampires decided to make a fondue out of the chocolates they received, which landed many of them with massive tummy upsets. Even their vampiric sides were weak to negative ingestions.

Akatsuki mused to himself, since his cousin had been one of the victims. Seeing Hanabusa groan and hunched over the entire night was a sight to behold. The least enjoyable part was having to wait an entire hour for Hanabusa to leave the toilet.

Lost in thoughts, the vampire hadn't even realised that the class was being dismissed. Akatsuki only noticed it when he was left in the room with only one other occupant. Orange-hued orbs met with hazel ones, and Kaname shut the notebook he had been reading from.

"Distracted?" The pureblood casually asked.

"Thinking," came the clipped reply. Akatasuki stood up from where he sat, lowering his head into a bow. "If that's all..."

"Here's a little something to help you out. Zero quite fancies the dessert store at the far corner of the eastern square," Kaname chuckled bit as he proceeded out the door. "Strawberry sundae, especially."

Akatsuki frowned at the pureblood's silhouette leaving the classroom. It was obvious that the brunette was showing off what he knew about Zero, and he'd be lying if there wasn't a hint of jealousy coasring through him.

He'd been with Zero for the past month and a half, and apart from the occasional times that he accompanied the hunter on his duties, they were hardly together. Akatsuki wasn't really a 'dating' sort of guy, and he usually shows his concern for the other very discretely. Zero didn't seem to mind the lack of expression; in fact, he seemed to prefer how low-profile it was. Simply being next to each other had both of them contented.

Once back in the shared dormitory with his cousin, Akatsuki laid sprawled on his back, arms crossed under his head. He stared at the clean ceiling, pondering about things.

Hanabusa, who had just exited the bathroom after taking a shower, raised an eyebrow at how his cousin seemed to be in a daze. Ruffling the towel against his blond locks, he treaded over to the redhead, brows creasing when Akatsuki didn't even seem to realise he was there. The whole process of him twisting his towel, and whipping it down onto the other's belly had also went unnoticed, until it was too late.

"What are you thinking about this time?" Hanabusa questioned as he tossed the towel across his shoulder, clinging onto either ends of it.

Akatsuki rubbed his aching middle as he half-heartedly glared at his cousin for abusing his body. "Valentine's, probably."

Sapphire eyes lit up, and Hanabusa helped himself to sitting at the edge of the bed. "Are you planning on taking some girl out?"

_Not girl. A guy_, the noble thought to himself. "Something like that."

Grinning himself stupid while rubbing his chin, Hanabusa nodded in approval. "Didn't think you had it in you, Akatsuki. Well, you have my outmost support!"

_Wonder if you'd still say that when you find out it's Zero. _

"Yeah..."

Despite the response, Hanabusa knew something was amiss. Though Akatsuki was as expressionless as a block of wood just about his entire life, he could tell if anything wasn't right.

"What's up? Girl problems?" The blond asked again, looking serious this time.

Staring at the ceiling for a moment, Akatsuki raised himself on his elbows, peering over at the other.  
"Hypothetically speaking... if your rival sarcastically suggests to you where you ought to bring your date to, what would you do?"

The question had left the blond flabbergasted. First of all, he would have never imagine hearing the words 'hypothetically speaking' coming from his cousin. Secondly, hypothetical situations were, more likely than not, based on true happenings, so who exactly was Akatsuki's rival?

Crossing his arms, Hanabusa tilted his head into a finger as he tried to piece things together. He hadn't seen the redhead being particularly close to any girl, which meant her identity would remain anonymous. But that meant that he couldn't track who the rival was, either. As nosy as he wanted to be, Akatsuki would be the last person he would want to pry information out of. The guy can be scary as hell when angry.

"Well, if this hypothetical rival says as such, then hypothetically, he's helping you, no?"

Akatsuki didn't seem fazed by the response. Instead, he flopped back down onto the bed and glued his eyes to whatever was above him.

Unimpressed by the silence, Hanabusa continued: "Look, even if he had brought her there before, or what not, it doesn't mean that the experience you two will have would be the same as him. Bring her there anyway. Maybe she'll come to enjoy the date with you more."

Hanabusa yelped when he was being pulled all of a sudden. The next thing he knew, he was the one lying on back, looking up at the redhead's face. Akatsuki was smirking down at the face which was paling with dread.

"Sometimes, you're so smart I could love you," the redhead commented as his face drew close to the person trapped between his hands that were spread on either side of the other.

"Argh! Akatsuki you bastard! I gave you advice and this is how you treat me!" Hanabusa yelled out with feigned anger. When his cousin was happy, he tend to act very odd. Giving a hard smack to Akatsuki's face with his face, though not enough to actually be fatal, he snorted. "In any case, I hope your date goes well."

Akatsuki glanced at his cousin briefly. Though Hanabusa could be so thick-headed sometimes, the latter was one of the few who could say things which put his heart at ease. Add the fact that he was hardly affected by his surroundings, when he usually did, he'd be in the dumps. And without a doubt, it was always the blond who pulled him out of the wreck. This time was no different.

Releasing all contractions in his arm, the redhead dropped down onto the other, coming to lie on top. Letting out a sigh and a small smile, Hanabusa wrapped his arms around the larger physique, patting the back a little.

To see his cousin this worried(if that was even it) was very rare. He must love the girl a lot, and Akatsuki never seemed like the romantist type. In fact, it creeped Hanabusa out when he realised the redhead leaned towards a 'yandere' type. Now he wondered whom he ought to be worried for: the girl he liked, or the rival.

Mentally shuddering, he made a note not to concern himself with this. Hanabusa decided to use the cloth that fell by his side to give his heavy cousin another taste of the towel-whip.

**-Candle-lit-**

In the evening of the 14th of February, hell in the form of hormonal women broke loose. Similarly, to the year before, the Day Class students were rushing on the pavements leading to the Moon Dormitory. Zero had acted ahead of time, coming to settle himself yards distance before the gates. Yuuki had been less fortunate, the blowing of her whistle going unheard.

"Same deal as last year – get in line with the people you're giving those things to," Zero ordered without faltering under numerous pouts and glares.

"They aren't 'things'! They're cards and chocolates!" Some of the girls whined out.

"Yeah, and those _things_ will be confiscated, with Valentine's banned if you do not heed my words," the hunter growled out.

Knowing that the prefect could mean his words, the girls sorted themselves out respectively. Zero could audibly hear them complaining and cursing under their breaths, but he couldn't care less. Instead, he walked over to Yuuki who was trying her best to sort out the boy's side with little progress.

"Get in line!" Zero yelled out, this time at the male population. Within seconds, the male students were in their respective rows.

"Haa... Zero, you're too good with this," the brunette sighed out with a smile, brushing away the locks that stuck to her face.

"That's because you're too nice that they take advantage of you," Zero snorted. He couldn't blame the girl though. Sometimes, she was just too soft-spoken for her own good.

"I do not get taken advantage of!" Yuuki pouted at the words. She placed both her hands on Zero's back and shoved him to the opposite side where the female students were starting to lose their queues. "Kaname-sempai and the rest will be coming by soon!"

Zero gave a small scoff. Though she was trying to hide it the best she could, Zero could tell that she was excited to give Kaname her own Valentine's present. He personally wasn't a very festive person; he usually spent days like these as per norm. It was usually Yuuki and Kaien who were hyped about celebrating anything which came along.

The screaming of names erupting from those he stood before caused Zero to snap out of his thoughts. The girls didn't even care that he was glaring at them. They were too focused on attracting their favourite to their lines.

Without looking, Zero could hear some of the vampires greeting their fans. Side-glancing, he could see Aido happily receiving and thanking the girls for their presents. Nothing unusual there. He caught sight of Akatsuki walking past the queue of girls who were meant to be his. Just at that moment, their eyes locked for a moment. The usual stoic look on the aristocrat's face usually had Zero wondering what the latter was thinking about. The sudden calling of Akatsuki's name broke their gaze, with Akatsuki looking over his shoulder.

The girls were verbally ushering him over, and Zero looked away. He wasn't feeling jealous or anything. The female population had a knack for annoying him, that's all.

Zero stiffened when he felt a hand touch his lower back briefly. Glancing over his shoulder, he came face to face with Kaname, who was presenting him with a very minute smirk.

"Working hard?" The brunette asked nicely. He merely smiled at the students standing before zero, who looked like they were about to faint from being this close to the Night Class leader.

The hunter's lips thinned. He knew Kaname enjoyed taunting him, a lot. This was no different. "Once you've received your junk, get moving," Zero snapped back. He received another smile.

"I hope you ladies aren't giving the prefects too much trouble," Kaname spoke to the female students. Zero rolled his eyes at the responses that the girls were giving. Such two-faced creatures...

Despite the rowdy day class students, the gifting session went surprisingly smooth. It hadn't taken much time and effort to get everyone going, and within a quarter of an hour, the night class had proceeded to the school building. The rest of the students dispersed, continuing to chat amongst themselves as they returned to the Sun dormitory. Yuki had chosen to escort the group back, while Zero remained just in case any of them decided to sneak around.

The hunter had been at his usual spot against the tree nearest to the Moon dormitory gates, watching the crowd of people heading in the opposite direction. Once he made sure the coast was clear, he could head to the balcony of the main building where the prefects usually kept watch.

While waiting, his thoughts had drifted to an incident mere minutes ago. He had been keeping watch on the girls when he noticed Yuuki looking a little nervous. At first, he wondered what it could be, and guessed that she might have her own present to give Kaname. At first, he hadn't thought about intervenng, but when he saw how hesitant she was being, he made his move. Zero snagged the chocolate from her pocket and tossed it the pureblood, ignoring the fretting girl beside him.

Their eyes had locked, he and Kaname. It was that moment he couldn't break away-

"-Zero." A firm, low voice caused said person to be startled.

Zero took a full step away from the speaker, momentarily leaking the look of surprise. It turned into a slight frown, and the hunter composed himself.

"Sorry. You were in a daze, so I didn't mean to scare you."

"I wasn't scared," Zero retorted back. "Just... didn't expect you to be here, that's all." He paused for a moment, taking in how unkempt the redhead always wore his uniform. The way he dressed didn't even make it look like a uniform. More like some yakuza getup. "Why are you out here? In't your classes starting?"

"I'm exempted for today," came the casual reply.

A fine brow was raised. "You don't look unwell."

"Let's go to town together," Aktasuki suggested all of a sudden.

"Whatever for?" Zero questioned back, puzzled. More than that, he was wondering why Akatsuki was being so... unexpected today. Startling him was the first, and now he was asking him to do something that resembled suspiciously like a date...

Then, it hit him.

"You're asking me out on a _date_?" The hunter sputtered more than he could hold back. His heart had already began to beat wildly the moment he realised what the other's intention was.

"It's Valentine's, so I just thought we could," Akatsuki rubbed the back of his neck, averting his gaze to the side.

Zero's jaw dropped a little, speechless. In the end, he shielded the lower half of his face with his mouth. He could feel his face burning up for some reason and he didn't need to know why.

The times which Akatsuki companied him, they were usually on the balcony, if not the paddock, horse shed or the edge of the woods. They'd talk about mundane stuff, since both of them were simply comfortable with each other's presence. Words were hardly needed; they were just there for each other.

"If you don't want to, it's fine," the vampire spoke again. Zero could immediately sense the disappointment even though Akatsuki's voice was deadpan.

"No, it's fine. I won't... I mean I don't mind. Just... let me tell the chairman and Yuuki first?"

"Got it," Akatsuki gave the slightest hint of a smile. He reached over, gently sliding his fingers through the silver locks at the base of Zero's neck. Leaning over, he placed a quick kiss on the latter's temple. "I'll meet you at the gates. You don't have to wear anything fancy. Just whatever's comfortable for you."

Zero merely nodded, still partially stupified. He watched Akatsuki saunter off in the direction of the Moon dormitory over his shoulder. When he was out of sight, the hunter could feel his cheeks burning up again.

He was going on a _date_ with Akatsuki. On Valentine's.

**-Candle-lit-**

After informing the chairman and Yuuki that he needed to head down to town, Zero went to get changed. He couldn't understand why his heart was racing quicker than if he had ran a marathon.

_It's just a date, for crying out loud_.

But for yet another unknown reason, he got flustered and was momentarily stunned with the dilemma of what to wear. Akatsuki had said 'whatever's comfortable', but he couldn't go out underdressed. At the same time, without a specification, he most definitely didn't want to go overdressed and make a clown out of himself. Zero wasn't really the type to worry about the image he presented to others, but this time he wanted to avoid looking like a fool.

After several minutes of ransacking and tossing clothing about, he finally settled for something which should be able to serve both situations if need be. He wore a pair of dark blue jeans and a white collared shirt. If it was too casual, he had a leather jacket to refine his outlook a notch better. It would be good for hiding his gun holster, anyway. Zero slipped on a pair of white sneakers and headed off to the school gates where he was meant to meet Akatsuki.

Before leaving his room though, he swiped up a small box from the top of his dressing table - one that was red, with a golden ribbon wrapped around it.

Even before reaching the gates, he could see two silhouettes standing by it. Judging by the height and physique, he could identify one person, who was Akatsuki, and the other must've been the security guard.

Hearing the hunter's approach, Akatsuki temporarily ceased conversation to peer over at the person heading towards him. He could feel himself grin a little. It wasn't often that he saw Zero wearing casual clothing, save a time when he had infiltrated the other's room while the other was asleep. He was, quite literally and shamelessly, scanning the other top to toe without missing a corner. The boy looked great.

Zero was having an eyeful of his own. He, on the other hand, had never seen the other decked outside the unkempt uniform. The redhead was wearing a white shirt under an open black hoody, with his sleeves bunched at his elbows. This was accompanied by baggy pants which had dark green army camouflage, and a pair of black Vans. Add the long, thick necklace chain which an ironical cross hung before the broad chest, Akatsuki looked drop-dead gorgeous. The vampiric side of the man had probably enhanced his features greater.

It wasn't that Zero was going to feel inferior standing with the guy. As said, he wasn't really an image person per say, but he was more concerned about all the attention the other was going to get when they step into town. Akatsuki looked like a model.

"Ready?"

The hunter merely nodded, still partially dumb-founded by the sight before him. Akatsuki bid the security guard goodbye, who told them to enjoy themselves and 'watch out'. Zero supposed it was merely a nice gesture to say it. They were still students after all.

Zero followed Akatsuki out the gates, wondering how they were going to get to town. It was of walking distance, but usually it would take half an hour. There were buses, but since it was already night, they tend to come less frequent, and sometimes walking was even quicker. So, what's the decision?

"Here," was all Zero heard before something hard and round was being tossed in his direction. He stumbled a little trying to catch the unexpected item, in which he came to identify as a helmet. A bike helmet. Glancing up, he witness Akatsuki settling himself on top of a red Ducati.

"You're joking, right?" The hunter blurted a little. His response was a raised eyebrow and a very minute grin.

"Never rode on one before?" Akatsuki questioned back. The slight teasing tone didn't go unnoticed.

Zero snorted back as he walked over to the bike, not quite answering. "This is nothing compared to Lily." He stopped before the other, raising the item in his hand to chest level. "Why am I wearing the helmet?"

The redhead tossed a look that seemed to state the obvious. "Safety first, of course."

"Yeah but it's yours-"

"Zero," Akatsuki cut in smoothly as a hand grasped the hunter's wrist gently. "For your safety."

Lilac and light orange orbs were locked onto each other, unwavering. Zero had really wanted to protest, saying that he didn't really need it. But seeing Akatsuki with such an insistent gaze, he gave in, for now. Letting out a sigh through his nose, Zero simply gave a nod and put the helmet on. After clicking the strap, he got behind the other.

"Just so you know, a bike is a lot faster than a horse," Akatsuki warned as he started up the bike. "Do you trust me?" He asked as he peered over his shoulder. His gaze and his passenger met.

Zero's brows knitted at first. He had sat at the back of Yagari's bike before. Speed shouldn't be an issue. Nevertheless, the answer to the question was a firm nod.

The sudden roar of the bike's engine startled the hunter, since he didn't remember it being this loud. Then, from the moment the bike accelerated, Zero nearly felt himself lift off where he sat. He came to realize what Akatsuki had meant about speed. The vampire didn't hold back at all. Within seconds they were travelling on the road at 100 miles per hour. Yagari had driven his bike fast, but not this fast.

Without knowing it himself, the hunter had his arms around the other's waist. They had encircled so firmly in the middle that Zero's forearm was near parallel to each other. Thankfully, the screen of the helmet was already down. He doubted being able to cling onto Akatsuki with just one arm. Nevertheless, the wind brushing past them was cold and refreshing. He couldn't quite see what was going around him, mostly because the bike was travelling at such a high speed. Everything was a blur.

Akatsuki kept his focus on the road, though a small portion was keeping Zero in consideration. At first, if he sensed the other waver in any way, he would slowed down to a managable pace. The speed he was going at was a norm for him, mostly because his confidence in handling the bike was so great. Thanks to his vampiric side and efficiently quick reflexes, dodging traffic was easier than walking through a crowd.

He could feel Zero's heart thundering against his chest, and arms tighten around his waist. It wasn't to a point where he felt the need to drop his speed, hence he continued. As seconds passed, the heartbeat and grip gradually let up by a notch, indicating that the hunter was fine with it. With a small smile, he pressed on.

Belatedly, Zero noticed how amazing it had felt. It was as if he was sitting a high-speed roller coaster. Not that he had rode one, but he imagined it would probably be like this. Everything around didn't seem to matter. He came to enjoy the whistling of the wind against the helmet he wore, and just vaguely, he could hear a heartbeat that did not match his own. It was a lot calmer and soothing, unlike his rapidly bounding one. That in turn made him relax, both physically and mentally.

Akatsuki's words before they began their trip popped into Zero's mind.

"_Do you trust me?"_

It had been a simple, yet a powerful questioned which could have determined so much. At the same time, it made the hunter wonder how they both had ended up this way. He wouldn't have so much as thought about being with a guy, and a vampire no less. It was something which would have never crossed his mind, and he came to wonder if it did Akatsuki's.

No matter, he knew the deeper answer to the question. It wasn't just a simple 'yes'.

_With my life._

**-Candle-lit-**

After dinner, Akatsuki suggested a dessert store around the corner near where they ate. He didn't miss the brief look of interest on Zero's face. Though the latter didn't agree out loud and merely responded with a nod, the redhead could feel a slight waver in his usually stoic emotions.

The dessert store was surprisingly empty, save a few girls at the corner of the shop. It was probably due to its secluded location. The two grabbed a small table by the window seat.

"Is there anything in particular that you'd like?"

Zero just gave a shrug. "Anything's fine."

"I'll go order and probably make a trip to the washroom." Giving a nod in acknowledgment, Zero watched as the vampire went to the counter to make the order.

The hunter rested his chin against the heel of his palm where he sat, glancing briefly at Akatsuki before looking out the window. Dinner had been pretty normal. Most of the people around them were either families or couples having dates of their own.

Reminded of that single word, a small blush creeped to his face. This has occured quite a handful of times throughout the night. He would 'accidentally' chance upon the word and end up with mildly red cheeks for a few seconds. Akatsuki had seen it a few times, but made no qualms. That, Zero was thankful for.

Not only that, but because it was Valentine's, and couples were everywhere, that the hunter was sub-consciously aware of people who were looking in their direction. Take the trip from the restaurant to this dessert store, for example. Many people were sneaking glances, be it male or female. At first, Zero thought it was because Akatsuki was being the centre of attention. He was tall, and the flame-colored hair stood out like a sore thumb at night. However, it was a random incident that made him think otherwise.

They had been strolling casually next to each other when Akatsuki grabbed him by the shoulder, yanking Zero against him. Stunned by the move, the hunter took a second to regain his footing before looking up and frowing at Akatsuki. That was when he saw the other glaring at the opposite side of the street.

There were three guys in their early twenties who were snickering and jeering something under their breaths, eyes focused on the two. It was Zero's turn to throw daggers at the bunch. They walked off in the opposite direction, laughing loudly amongst themselves.

Thinking back on those jerks, Zero gave a snort. You'd think people would've matured with age...

"Hey," an unrecognisable voice sounded behind Zero, followed by a rough hand that clasped his shoulder.

Out of reflex, the hunter swiftly grabbed the hand, shoving the opposite shoulder to the hand he grasped and reversed the man's standing position. Locking the stranger's arms against his back and giving it a hard tug, he ensured that the guy would think twice about moving.

"Ow ow ow!" His victim cried out.

Liliac eyes flicked to gaze at two other guys who were by the entryway, his previous blind spot. Recognising the men as the trio goons from before, Zero frowned and let go, giving a firm push to put some distance between them.

"Jeez, he packs something in him alright," the guy muttered, flicking his aching wrist. The one Zero had restrained was wearing a beany, while another wore glasses and the last with multiple piercings on his face. The hunter grimaced at the sight of the guy. All of them were pretty buff up close, looking as if they've had one too many gym sessions.

"What do you want?" Zero partially growled out. From the corner of his eyes, he could see the small group of girls were starting to give into curiosity, while the cashier lady seemed concerned.

"Nothin'. Where'd that tall dude go? Did you get dumped?" Piercings guy teased as he stepped forth.

"That's none of your business," the hunter snapped back, when his attention was redirected at beany man when he spoke.

"Yo, chill baby. We got your back."

_Baby?_ Hell no. These guys were _not _trying to pick him up.

"Besides, we wouldn't want to bother others, do we? Let's take this outside and chat it out slowly," a voice from the side, Zero narrowed his gaze at piercings guy who was flanking his right, and beany man taking the front. To his left was another table, and behind him a wall. He could probably do away with kicking the one in front of him first, before round-housing the right, but with the furniture around him, it may prove difficult.

Momentarily distracted, Zero was startled when a beefy hand reached out in his field of vision. It stunned him, and his first reaction was to guard his face by raising an arm.

However, the hand didn't touch him. Instead, the sounds of two guys yelping, followed by the crashing of chairs occured. Blinking, Zero removed his arm to see beany man and glasses dude in a messy heap infront of the door, piled on top of each other. Where they were standing before was replaced with a very, very pissed looking Akatsuki.

"Wh-whoah!? Where'd you come from!?" Piercings guy shrieked. The guy had appeared from no where in a split second, grabbed his friend by the shoulder and literally hauled his massive weight to the back, strong enough to send two men crashing into the wall and onto the floor.

"Before I rip your throat out and let that filthy blood of yours flood the floor, get out of my sight!" Akatsuki hissed out in such a tone that even had Zero surprised. It was filled with venom that it chilled his skin to the bone.

The petrified trio immediately collected themselves by the doorway, with piercings guy being the one with the most gall to reply: "D-dude, we didn't d-do anything to your boyfriend. S-serious!"

This time, all the redhead did was bare his fangs that were clearly inhuman. That alone sent them scrambling out the doorway screaming 'monster'.

The shop fell into a pin-drop silence for a long moment. Only minutes later did a set of humble feet shuffling break it. The cashier lady had made her way next to the redhead, who merely side-glanced at the person whose height only reached his elbows.

"Erm... T-thank you. Those boys are always disturbing my shop, that's why I have less customers than usual," the cashier lady said meekly, before holding out two small, rounded paper containers. "Please, take another strawberry sundae, on the house."

_Strawberry sundae?_ Zero pondered. Out of the entire menu of over forty selections, Akatsuki chose _that_?

"I apologise for using such... rough words," Akatsuki replied in a calm tone. Any form of hostility from before was gone, and he was back to his usual manner of speaking. He took the cups in a hand with a slght tilt of his head.

"No, not at all! I'm sure it'll keep them away for a while!" The lady was blushing a little, that Zero could tell. "Please, I welcome you to my shop anytime!"

The hunter didn't miss the slight giggles and chatter that began from the corner of the room. He didn't look over, mostly because he could hear their words which were starting to make him feel a little unnerved.

"Did you see that? His boyfriend saved him!"

"Gosh, they're both so good-looking. It's no wonder he got hit on..."

All of a sudden, Zero's hand was taken into Akatsuki's, as the latter spoke to the shop owner once more quickly.

"Thanks. We'll be back for sure," the redhead bid the lady a goodbye and headed out of the shop.

Akatsuki led the way out with quick and large strides, much too fast for Zero to catch up steadily.

"W-wha? Akatsuki, slow down-" Zero scrambled to find the words to say properly, as half his mind was trying to prevent his legs from tangling with Akatsuki's and his own. "Akatsuki!" He said a little louder this time.

Finally, the redhead stopped in his tracks a few blocks down, looking over his shoulder at his partner. He tossed a questioning glance at Zero, who wore a mildly pained expression. It finally occured to him then that he was grasping the other's wrist much tighter than he thought. Akatsuki loosened his grip and apologised.

"You don't have to be angry," Zero sighed out.

"How can I not ? Those... _vermins_ tried to touch you," Akatsuki seethed out angrily. His eyes averted to the reddened circle that was around Zero's wrist where he had held too tightly before. Briging the other's hand to his face, he started licking the superficial marking to soothe it. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," the hunter tugged his hand a little, but the firm grip kept it in place. Luckily, no one was around to see that. "Thanks... for intercepting."

"If they had really touched you, I'd tear their limbs off. Not only them. Other people kept looking at you, it makes me tempted to... _do_ things."

"For someone who doesn't speak much, you're pretty brutal," the hunter commented.

"Because it's you." Akatsuki's orange eyes held a slight hue of red to them when Zero met his gaze. The latter felt a blush creeping to his face, and he had to look away before he embarrassed himself further.

"T-that aside... Why'd you get strawberry sundae?" The hunter stuttered a little. "There were plenty of other choices to get."

This time, it was Akatsuki who averted his gaze. He let Zero's hand go, and that was what made the other look back, confused.

"Akatsuki?"

"I just thought you might like it, that's all," the redhead muttered in an inconvincing manner. Zero picked that up right away and scowled for a bit. That was a pretty blatant lie. But why would Akatsuki have to do so? If it had been pure chance that he had chosen strawberry sundae, then so be it. Why did he have to look guilty...?

"Kaname told you, didn't he?" Zero deduced. The only other person who knew of his favourite dessert was none other than the pureblood. Even Yuuki didn't know, needles to say the chairman.

"I thought you'd come to like it."

The hunter expired in the form of a sigh, and an extremely loud one at that. It caught Akatsuki's attention right away, and their eyes met.

"You think I'm still in love with him, do you?"

"What? No. Wy would you-"

"Come," a stern tone followed, which left even the vampire thinking twice about speaking. It was Zero's turn to take Akatsuki by the wrist, though not as roughly. The former took charge in leading the way, but to where Akatsuki was clueless about.

-Candle-lit-

The loud chime indicating ten at night defeaned the redhead a little because of his better hearing. Somehow, Zero had made them cross the main square of town, and up the lift which led them to the highest accessible floor of the clock tower. There were a few people hanging around, and Zero took them to a secluded corner.

"Zero...?"

"Sometimes, when I'm in the dumps, I come up here," the hunter spoke, standing before the brick railing. It was tall for safety purposes, and Zero could quite literally lean his entire body against it. The semicircle open space allowed a view of the town below which still remained lighted up for now. "It's got a great view, and the atmosphere is calming. You're the first person I've brought to this place."

Wondering what this was truly about, Akatsuki walked up to Zero's side, placing a hand on the brick. True enough, the town seen from nearly ten storeys up was quite a sight. It wasn't too late just yet, so people were still hustling and bustling in the main areas.

"Akatsuki," the person beside him called out, attracting his attention. When said person looked over, he was met with a small box settled in the palm of Zero's hand. "Happy Valentine's."

Baffled, the noble didn't know what he ought to do. He didn't actually get a present for his partner either.

Deciding to help the one who resembled a lost child, Zero undid the golden ribbon and took the lid of the box off, revealing a small, purple candle. Right away, Akatsuki recognised the scent. It was exactly the same as Zero's room. That meant-

"I'm a light sleeper, for obvious reasons," the hunter started to explain as he took the candle out. "I saw you taking a good look at the candle that was burning in my room. You looked like you enjoyed its scent."

"Because it fits you really well," Akatsuki shrugged. Lavender from then on always reminded him of his partner. "Why a candle, though? I would only be able to use it once."

"What you said before, some time ago." Zero faced the open, peering out into the yonder. "My love for Kaname was only burning lantern bright. Now, I'm just going to let you know, this is as much as it is now." Turning to look at the other, he held the candle out. "I don't have a lighter or a match on me – there's only one person I know who can actually make this work."

Akatsuki couldn't help but let out a chuckle behind a hand. This was truly unexpected. As usual, Zero could be pretty unpredictable when he wanted to be. Reaching over, all the vampire did was bring his hand over the candle, and the wick caught fire. The one holding it placed it back into the box, not wanting to let the wax melt onto the floor or brick. Their surrounding smelt of lavender, thought only briefly as the scent dissipated into the air.

"You do have more of those, don't you?"

"Of course," Zero let out a small grin. His eyes darted to the items Akatsuki had been holding all the while in his other hand. "The strawberry sundae!"

"Huh?" Akatsuki lifted his other hand. He had totally forgotten about it, and because his own body heat had countered the cold, he never realised that it was melting in his hand. Zero retrieved and popped one of the cup's lid off. Its initially organised strawberry streaks were reduced to coloring the white ice-cream pinkish, with the contents now half-liquidy.

The two looked at each other and Zero snorted, while Akatsuki shrugged as innocently as he could.

Placing the other cup on the brick, Akatsuki wrapped his hand around the back of Zero's neck, pulling the other in for a kiss. It was a chaste one, but it need not be deep to show their true affection for each other.

"Happy Valentine's."

* * *

I hope all of you will enjoy your day! Be it Forever Alone-ing somewhere, or out on a date with someone you love.

Special dedication to Cocobi, Chi and Kanze, whom I've come to enjoy chatting with a lot! Feel free to find me on fb (details on profile page). It's great to know people and share things. And do really, really weird stuff fufufufuuf -insert evil laugh-

Yes, I'm still working on my other fics, albeit snail pace. One at a time, yeah? XP

Catch you guys around!

-Yumiii


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